CBP Officers Seize Spider Monkey, Nearly $1 Million Worth Of Cocaine In 2 Separate Incidents At Border

U.S. Customs and Border Protection said officers at the Southern border in Texas intercepted an endangered spider monkey and nearly $1 million worth of cocaine in two separate enforcement actions over the weekend.

On Sunday, April 6, CBP officers at the Anzalduas International Bridge encountered a 20-year-old man and 21-year-old woman, both U.S. citizens, attempting entry from Mexico in a 2011 Chevrolet Equinox. The vehicle was referred for secondary inspection, where officers discovered a spider monkey hidden inside a backpack.

The importation of monkeys is regulated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and generally, monkeys are prohibited from importation as pets, according to CBP. Some monkeys are protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.

Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service arrested the driver and passenger and launched a criminal investigation. The monkey was transported to the Gladys Porter Zoo in Brownsville.

Also on April 6, at the Hidalgo International Bridge, CBP officers referred a 2008 Ford Explorer driven by a 68-year-old male Mexican citizen for a secondary inspection using non-intrusive equipment and canines. Officers discovered 28 packages containing 73.41 pounds of alleged cocaine, worth an estimated $980218, hidden within the vehicle.

CBP seized the vehicle and the narcotics. HSI agents arrested the driver and launched a criminal investigation.

“Our frontline CBP officers and agriculture specialists continue to remain vigilant as they conduct their inspections; their attention to detail and inspections experience led to an interception of an endangered species and a significant narcotics seizure in two separate enforcement events,” Port Director Carlos Rodriguez, Hidalgo Port of Entry, said in a statement. “We remain committed to preventing the exploitation of protected animals and the spread of animal diseases. Seizures of narcotics also reinforce our continued commitment to our border security mission.”